Boot topper

ABSTRACT

A tube comprising a foldable decorative tubular portion comprising an inward turned portion and an outward turned portion. The outward turned portion includes a ornamental design thereon an/or a decoration extending therefrom.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.60/583,372, filed Jun. 28, 2004, entitled BOOT TOPPER.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a sock with an inward turned decorativetop that folds over the top of a boot to provide a decorative look.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

During the last several years, high fashion dress boots have becomequite popular. Unfortunately, high quality boots are very expensive andpeople are often limited to owning one pair. In turn, one pair of bootsonly gives the owner a single style, limiting the flexibility of theboots and the ability to wear them frequently with various fashionoutfits.

It would be desirable to have the ability to change the look or style ofa pair of fashion boots in a simple, cost effective way. In one attempt,a boot cover was used to cover the entire leg of the boot. Although thisdoes change the appearance of the boot, it also adds substantial cost(as the covers were typically made of leather) and may not be compatiblewith all types of dress boots. Others have attempted to providedecorative socks, using sock covers but these would not be useful fordesigner boots. Finally, others have attempted to combine socks withboot usage but only to prevent the sock from falling down. Specifically,a stay-up cuff is integrated into the top of the leg portion of the sockand includes an outwardly turned welt which covers the upper edge of ahiking boot to prevent the entry of dirt, snow, etc, into the boot.Although this may be a beneficial design, the sock does not provide anydecorative or stylish features to be used with high fashion dress boots.

Accordingly, an apparatus is desired having the aforementionedadvantages and solving and/or making improvements on the aforementioneddisadvantages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A first aspect of the present invention is to provide a tube comprisinga foldable decorative tubular portion comprising an inward turnedportion and an outward turned portion. The outward turned portionincludes an ornamental design thereon.

Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a tube comprisinga foldable decorative tubular portion comprising an inward turnedportion and an outward turned portion. A decoration extends from theoutward turned portion of the inward turned welt.

Yet another aspect of the present invention is to provide a method ofdecorating a boot comprising providing a tube comprising a first sectionand a second section, with the second section having a decorationintegrally attached to an end thereof. The method also includes pullingthe boot over the first section of the tube, folding the second sectionover a top edge of the boot and exposing the decoration.

These and other aspects, objects, and features of the present inventionwill be understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art uponstudying the following specification, claims, and appended drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side view of a sock of the present invention, with afoldable decorative tubular portion of the sock unfolded.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the sock of the present invention, with a topsection of the foldable decorative tubular portion folded over.

FIG. 3 is a side view of a boot.

FIG. 4 is a side view of a boot incorporating the sock of the presentinvention.

FIG. 5 is a side view of a leg tube, with a top section of the foldabledecorative tubular portion folded over.

FIG. 6 is a side view of a cuff, with a top section of the foldabledecorative tubular portion folded over.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

For purposes of description herein, the terms “upper,” “lower,” “right,”“left, rear,” “front,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” and derivatives thereofshall relate to the invention as oriented in FIG. 1. However, it is tobe understood that the invention may assume various alternativeorientations and step sequences, except where expressly specified to thecontrary. It is also to be understood that the specific devices andprocesses illustrated in the attached drawings and described in thefollowing specification are simply exemplary embodiments of theinventive concepts defined in the appended claims. Hence, specificdimensions and other physical characteristics relating to theembodiments disclosed herein are not to be considered as limiting,unless the claims expressly state otherwise.

The reference number 10 (FIG. 1) generally designates a clothing tubeembodying the present invention. In the illustrated example, theclothing tube 10 comprises a sock 10′ that can be made of a variety ofmaterials, including Nylon, Tactel Nylon, Micro Nylon, MicrodenierNylon, Micro Fiber, Spandex, Lycra, Lycra Spandex, Polyester, Cotton,Acetate, Rayon, Viscose, or Chenniel. The sock 10′ includes a footportion 12 and a leg portion 14, with the foot portion 12 attached toone end of the leg portion 14. A foldable decorative tubular portion 16is integrally attached to the leg portion 14 of the sock 10′ at an endopposite to the foot portion 12. The foldable decorative tubular portion16 is at least partially made of a material that is partially elastic,including Nylon, Tactel Nylon, Micro Nylon, Microdenier Nylon, MicroFiber, Spandex, Lycra, Lycra Spandex, Polyester, Cotton, Acetate, Rayon,Viscose, or Chenniel. The foldable decorative tubular portion 16 canalso be at least partially made of the same material used in the footportion 12 and leg portion 14. Further, the foldable decorative tubularportion 16 can include an ornamental design 17 thereon. The ornamentaldesign 17 can comprise a design made on the foldable decorative tubularportion 16 that is viewable when a top section 34 of the foldabledecorative tubular portion 16 is turned outward (see FIG. 2) and/or atleast one decoration 20 attached to at least a top edge 18 of thefoldable decorative tubular portion 16. The at least one decoration 20can include a variety of decorations know to those skilled in the art,including fur, beads, lace, bangles, feathers, stones, rhinestones orany other decoration. The ornamental design 17 can also comprise animage printed on the foldable decorative tubular portion 16, have thematerial of the foldable decorative tubular portion 16 made into adesign or decorations connected to the foldable decorative tubularportion 16 (e.g., fur, beads, lace, bangles, feathers, stones,rhinestones or any other decoration).

In the illustrated example, the foldable decorative tubular portion 16is attached to leg portion 14 such that when the top section 34 of thefoldable decorative tubular portion 16 is folded outward (turned over orcuffed), the ornamental design 17 and/or the at least one decoration 20are outward facing, allowing others to view the ornamental design 17and/or the at least one decoration 20 (see FIG. 2).

The illustrated sock 10′ of the present invention can be used with atypical boot 22 (FIG. 3). Usually, the design of boot 22 is fixed andnot changeable. This can limit the usability of the boot 22 and limitits ability to match or be worn with other fashionable outfits. However,the sock 10′ can be worn in combination with the boot 22 as illustratedin FIG. 4 to allow the boot 22 to be worn with other fashionableoutfits. In order to use the sock 10′ with the boot 22, the sock 10′ ispositioned on a foot/leg of a person. Thereafter, the boot 22 is pulledover the foot portion 12 and the leg portion 14 of the sock 10′. Theboot 22 may also be pulled over a lower section 32 of the foldabledecorative tubular portion 16. The top section 34 of the foldabledecorative tubular portion 16 is then folded over (turned outward orcuffed) over a top edge 24 of the boot 22.

In the illustrated example, the elastic nature of the materials used inthe foldable decorative tubular portion 16 allow the sock 10′ to fittightly over the top edge 24 of the boot 22, thereby holding thefoldable decorative tubular portion 16 in place, preventing the foldabledecorative tubular portion 16 from slipping off, and allowing thefoldable decorative tubular portion 16 to fit over various sizes ofboots 22. By folding over the foldable decorative tubular portion 16,the ornamental design 17 of the foldable decorative tubular portion 16and the at least one decoration 20 are exposed and visible. This givesboot 22 a different look, allowing a single boot design to take ondifferent looks and feels depending on the design and decoration of sock10′. For example, as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4, the at least onedecoration 20 includes beads. However, as stated previously, it iscontemplated that many other decorations could be used alone or incombination. Furthermore, the size, length and width of the at least onedecoration 20 as well as the size and length of the foldable decorativetubular portion 16 can be varied to further provide differentappearances (covering more or less of the boot 22). By owning severaldifferent styles of the sock 10′, one could have several different lookswith a single pair of fashion boots 22, which provides a simple, costeffective way to change looks.

The reference numeral 10 a (FIG. 5) generally designates anotherembodiment of the present invention, having a second embodiment of thetube. Since the tube 10 a is similar to the previously described tube10, similar parts appearing in FIGS. 1-4 and FIG. 5, respectively, arerepresented by the same, corresponding reference number, except for thesuffix “a” in the numerals of the latter. The tube 26 of the secondembodiment of the present invention comprises leg portion 14 a and thefoldable decorative tubular portion 16 a. The tube 10 a is essentially asock 10′ without the foot portion 12 (similar to a leg warmer). The tube10 a has the leg portion 14 a, with one end of the leg portion 14 abeing open ended 28 (instead of having the foot portion 12 as in thesock 10′ described above). Furthermore, the opposite end of the legportion 14 a is integrally connected to the foldable decorative tubularportion 16 a. The foldable decorative tubular portion 16 a functions inthe same manner as explained above, providing the same ornamentalfeatures when turned outward or cuffed. Accordingly, the tube 10 afunctions in the same manner as the sock 10′, but without a foot portion12 and potentially a shorter leg portion 14 a. The length of the legportion 14 a can vary depending on the wants and needs of the user. Forexample, if warmth is desired, the leg portion 14 a could essentially bethe same length as the leg portion 14 of the sock 10′ of the firstembodiment of the present invention. However, the leg portion 14 a couldalso be very short, basically serving as an anchor for the foldabledecorative tubular portion 16 to anchor the tube 10 a to the leg of theuser.

The reference numeral 10 b (FIG. 6) generally designates anotherembodiment of the present invention, having a third embodiment for thetube. Since the tube 10 b is similar to the previously described sock10′, similar parts appearing in FIGS. 1-4 and FIG. 6, respectively, arerepresented by the same, corresponding reference number, except for thesuffix “b” in the numerals of the latter. The tube 10 b is essentiallyjust the foldable decorative tubular portion 16 b, without the footportion 12 or the leg portion 16 of the sock 10′. The tube 10 b includesthe foldable decorative tubular portion 16 b as described above in thefirst embodiment of the present invention. When the top section 34 ofthe foldable decorative tubular portion 16 of the tube 10 b is foldedover (turned outward or cuffed), the ornamental design 17 and/or the atleast one decoration 20 are exposed. The tube 10 b is designed to fitover the top edge 24 b of the boot 22 b and provide the same decorativefeatures as explained above. The tube 10 b is preferably at leastpartially elastic such that the bottom section 32 of the foldabledecorative tubular portion 16 b can either fit snuggly to the leg of theuser or when a portion of the tube 10 b is turned outward, the bottomsection 32 and top section 34 of the tube 10 b fit tightly around thetop edge 24 b of the boot 22 b.

It is to be understood that variations and modifications can be made onthe aforementioned structure without departing from the concepts of thepresent invention. For example, it is contemplated that the tube 10could be placed over an arm or a leg or a person. Furthermore, it is tobe understood that such concepts are intended to be covered by thefollowing claims unless these claims by their language expressly stateotherwise.

1. A tube comprising: a foldable decorative tubular portion comprising:an inward turned portion; and an outward turned portion; the outwardturned portion includes a ornamental design thereon.
 2. The tube ofclaim 1, further comprising: a leg portion attached to the foldabledecorative tubular portion at a first end thereof; and a foot portionattached to the leg portion at a second end of the leg portion.
 3. Thetube of claim 2, wherein: the foldable decorative tubular portionincludes a first tubular portion end and a second tubular portion end,the first tubular portion end being connected to the leg portion; atleast one decoration extends from the second tubular portion end of thefoldable decorative tubular portion.
 4. The tube of claim 3, wherein:the at least one decoration includes at least one of the following: fur,beads, lace, bangles, feathers, stones and rhinestones.
 5. The tube ofclaim 2, wherein: the foldable decorative tubular portion comprises apartially elastic material.
 6. The tube of claim 1, further comprising:a leg portion attached to the foldable decorative tubular portion at afirst end thereof.
 7. The tube of claim 6, wherein: the foldabledecorative tubular portion includes a first tubular portion end and asecond tubular portion end, the first tubular portion end beingconnected to the leg portion; at least one decoration extends from thesecond tubular portion end of the foldable decorative tubular portion.8. The tube of claim 7, wherein: the at least one decoration includes atleast one of the following: fur, beads, lace, bangles, feathers, stonesand rhinestones.
 9. The tube of claim 6, wherein: the foldabledecorative tubular portion comprises a partially elastic material. 10.The tube of claim 1, wherein: the foldable decorative tubular portioncomprises a partially elastic material.
 11. The tube of claim 1,wherein: the foldable decorative tubular portion includes at least onedecoration extending from the outward turned portion.
 12. The tube ofclaim 1, wherein: the decoration includes at least one of the following:fur, beads, lace, bangles, feathers, stones and rhinestones.
 13. A tubecomprising: a foldable decorative tubular portion comprising: an inwardturned portion; and an outward turned portion; and a decorationextending from the outward turned portion of the inward turned welt. 14.The tube of claim 13, further comprising: a leg portion attached to thefoldable decorative tubular portion at a first end thereof; and a footportion attached to the leg portion at a second end of the leg portion.15. The tube of claim 14, wherein: the foldable decorative tubularportion includes a first tubular portion end and a second tubularportion end, the first tubular portion end being connected to the legportion; the decoration extends from the second tubular portion end ofthe foldable decorative tubular portion.
 16. The tube of claim 14,wherein: the foldable decorative tubular portion comprises a partiallyelastic material.
 17. The tube of claim 13, further comprising: a legportion attached to the foldable decorative tubular portion at a firstend thereof.
 18. The tube of claim 17, wherein: the foldable decorativetubular portion includes a first tubular portion end and a secondtubular portion end, the first tubular portion end being connected tothe leg portion; the decoration extends from the second tubular portionend of the foldable decorative tubular portion.
 19. The tube of claim13, wherein: the decoration includes at least one of the following: fur,beads, lace, bangles, feathers, stones and rhinestones.
 20. The tube ofclaim 13, wherein: the foldable decorative tubular portion comprises apartially elastic material.
 21. A method of decorating a bootcomprising: providing a tube comprising a first section and a secondsection, the second section having a decoration integrally attached toan end thereof; pulling the boot over the first section of the tube;folding the second section over a top edge of the boot; and exposing thedecoration.
 22. The method of claim 21, wherein: the tube furtherincludes a leg portion connected to the first section.
 23. The method ofclaim 22, wherein: the tube further includes a foot portion connected tothe leg portion.